Vinyl LPs are back!!! Document Records and Jack White's Third Man Records have teamed up to produce an astonishing new series of vinyl albums. Drawing material from the Document vaults, the series concentrates on the best names in vintage blues. With new sound restoration, remarkable cover artwork, extensive liner notes and detailed discographies, these albums are both a treat for fans of this amazing music and a collectors dream.

These previously unissued recordings were produced by the Edison Company between the years of 1914-1929. The repertoire includes Blues, Country, Hawaiian, Vaudeville Sketches, Popular Vocal Songs of the era, Opera / Classical, Jazz, Dance Bands of the 1920's, speeches by popular orators and political figures and the voice of Mr. Edison himself!

A rapidly increasing collection of fascinating special projects, themes and documentaries – blues, gospel, featured artists. Includes projects commissioned by Paul Oliver, Bill Wyman and Jeff Harris with many more to follow…

The BIG one. At 679 CDs and growing this is one of the biggest slices of Afro-American music history that you will find anywhere. The complete recorded works of hundreds of blues, gospel, spiritual, boogie-woogie, songster artist; from the late 1800s onwards. Many, many recordings not available elsewhere these are the roots of soul, modern gospel, R&B, rap, black urban vocal music and rock.

The original ninyl Blues Document Series preserved on CD. Includes classic recordings such as Blind Willie McTell Library of Congress session of 1940, classic post war recordings by memphis Minnie, by Jessie Thomas (brother of Ramblin' Thomas), Carolina Slim, Cripple Clarence Lofton and many more...

This ever popular series spotlights the many masters of the early Country Music genre known to many as Old Timey music. Here you will find rare, historic recordings by The Skillet Lickers, Dixon Brothers, Fiddlin’ John Carson, Sam McGee, Fiddlin’ Doc Roberts, Walter Smith and many more.

Five CDs rescued from the impressive groundbreaking Matchbox Blues Series which first made its appearance back in the 1980s. Covers the Complete pre-war recorded works of Texas Alexander, Peg Leg Howell and Eddie Anthony.

These, sampler CDs at a low budget price are a an ideal way to not only dip in and discover the delights of Document but are also a great introduction into the blues, jazz, gospel, swing and country music. No expertise required, just sit back and enjoy.

Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman asked Document Records to produce a CD which would be part of a life long ambition; to pay tribute to and share with others the music that he has loved and been influenced by, The Blues. This double CD, accompanied by a twenty-four page colour booklet, compliments the book, television documentary and DVD of the same name. It features some of the very best blues to have been recorded from the early “Classic” female blues and “Country Blues” of the nineteen-twenties through to the electric “Down Home” blues of Chicago.

Whether you are a collector or just inquisitive about what the blues are and the history the music, this CD is one of the finest collections of vintage blues recordings available. Continued...

Banana In Your Fruit Basket, If It Don't Fit Don't Force Itand He's Just My Size? Well, no prizes for guessing what they're all about. But what is a Southern Can, who is the Boy in the Boatand why a Man O' War? This excellent double CD, with twelve page full colour booklet, is packed with some of the most intriguing and often humorous Hokum, Blues, Jazz and Boogie-Woogie pieces based on the subject of sex. Outrageous double entendres and curious metaphors are abound. If Bananas, Lollypops, Fish and Jelly be the food of love, then play on! Continued...

Various artists Double album with full colour 20 page booklet by Jeff Harris.

Detailed discography

The idea of Christmas themed blues and gospel numbers stretches back to the very dawn of the recorded genres. “Hooray for Christmas” exclaims Bessie Smith to kick off her soon to be classic “At The Christmas Ball”, which inaugurated the Christmas blues tradition when it was recorded in November 1925 for Columbia. A year later, circa December 1926, the gospel Christmas tradition was launched when the Elkins-Payne Jubilee Singers recorded “Silent Night, Holy Night” for Paramount Records. After these recordings it was off to the races with numerous Christmas blues numbers recorded by singers of all stripes, a pace that continued as blues evolved into R&B and then rock and roll. Continued...

From this album's booklet notes. Bo's first appearance on record seems to be a Columbia session held in Atlanta, Georgia on November 2, 1928, where he, Charlie and Joe McCoy, and an unknown pianist, backed a singer named Alec Johnson. A Columbia session did take place on December 17, 1928 in New Orleans, with Bo, Charlie McCoy and Walter Vincson, where two titles were cut as the Jackson Blue Boys. But before that session, the group ran into the Brunswick mobile unit and recorded as Charlie McCoy and Do Chatman, as well as backing Mary Butler on four titles. After Good Old Turnip Greens the vocal chores were turned over to Mary Butler for four blues titles. Bungalow Blues was handled smoothly, although a bit stiffly, with its occasional II and VI chords lending it a vaudeville flavour. On Mary Blues the blues style in the vocal was harder and the guitarist (probably Vincson) begins the instrumental introduction with a few bluesy slurs. On Electric Chair Blues the mandolinist had the same difficulty as on Mary Blues, and Butler cut Mad Dog Bluesto better effect with only Vincson on guitar (including some mandolin imitation on the breaks). Continued...

In the time between his December 1928 New Orleans session and his next solo recording date at the King Edward Hotel in Jackson, Mississippi on December 15, 1930, Bo Carter had participated in numerous sessions in the role of accompanist. There were two sessions in Memphis in late September 1929 and February 1930 where Chatman's Mississippi Hotfooters (with Carter probably on violin) backed both Walter Vincent (Vincson) and Charlie McCoy on several tracks apiece. On these occasions he most likely had contact with some of the other artists who recorded there. Included among their number were some of the more popular and influential Race artists of the period: Jim Jackson, Tampa Red, Georgia Tom, Speckled Red, Furry Lewis, Memphis Minnie, Kansas Joe, Robert Wilkins, Jed Davenport, and Garfield Akers. Continued...

The first Bluebird sessions in March of 1934 marked a return to the studio for Bo after a two and a half year absence. Tastes in blues had changed and the record companies could no longer afford to take chances on untested acts or untried material. A more disciplined approach was applied in the studio and this sometimes led to records that sounded formulaic or unexciting. Bo Carter's records at this time showed as much or more diversity as any of his recording rivals and his regular trips to the studio attested to his popularity. Continued...

It has taken quite some time for Bo Carter's rightful place in blues history to be established. His music was complicated and multifaceted. The question of whether his lyrics are "pornographic" or merely an uninhibited and even healthy view of sexuality is really a relative one. There is certainly enough "raw" data contained in Bo Carter - Vol. 4 for the listener to come to his own conclusion. All Around Man, It's Too Wet, Cigarette Blues, Your Biscuits Are Big Enough For Me, and Don't Mash My Digger So Deep are classics of their type and the gorgeous guitar work on "Cigarette Blues" alone should be enough to persuade even the casual listener that there is more here than suggestive wordplay. Continued...

Bo Carter was still touring the South with the Mississippi Sheiks in the years 1930 through 1935. This activity took the band through Mississippi, Tennessee, Georgia, Louisiana, and as far north as Illinois and New York. During this period Bo's eyesight got progressively worse and he eventually went blind sometime in the 1930s. This ensuing blindness and the disbanding of the Sheiks led Carter to concentrate on his solo recordings. On October 22, 1938 he had his longest session ever, recording eighteen titles in one day, all but one of them issued. This session produced some of his most advanced music from a structural and harmonic standpoint. Continued...

Too Late Too Late Blues 1926 - 1944
DOCD-5150
Too Late Too Late Blues 1926 - 1944
Alternative takes and rare, late, discoveries.
Various.
The first Document CD appeared in 1990 with DOCD-5001 “Tommy Johnson”. Three years and 150 releases later the first volume of the “Too Late, Too Late” albums appeared. The unprecedented unleashing of such a fast growing bulk of blues and gospel recordings in such a “completist” fashion inspired both fans of the music and collectors alike. Once that the great river of releases had been flowing for a while collectors began to think again about what might be hidden in the corners of their collections or had until then been regarded of no real significance.
In addition there were recent and continue to be, rare finds. A Big Bill Broonzy 78 had just recently been found, having been picked up in a lot that was saved from the street where it had been left for disposal. Then there was the box of Paramount tests that had been found several years ago which were made available. Collectors also began to revisit their records with more attention being paid to the recordings themselves and on many occasions found that takes that appeared on their records were not the takes that had thus far been re-issued.